What Dreams May Come
by Gadien Elf
Summary: Our heroes find yet another way off of the plateau, but will they be able to take it knowing the consequences? Eventual NedVeronica and MargueriteRoxton pairings. Chapter 2 up!
1. Chapter 1: Truth Be Told

**Title: What Dreams May Come**

Summary: While Roxton, Marguerite and Malone are off hunting they stumble across another group of lost explorers. The three are shocked to learn that the apparent leader of the expedition, Edmund Bakker, is on his third voyage to the Lost World before stumbling across our heroes.

They agree to show the explorers the way off of the Plateau in exchange for a few nights rest in the humble tree abode. Days later, the group begins to pack and Assai, the Zanga princess, offers to throw them a farewell party at her village in honor of Challenger and his friends. A celebration is already in progress as they commemorate the new Shaman to the tribe. Under the tutelage of Jacoba and his priests, the young boy of thirteen has several visions of the explorers future journey; none of them boding well for the travelers. Though he speaks freely of them they are dismissed as a whim from the barely mature young boy.

However, a shadow looms in the future, and our adventurers are heading straight for it.

A/N: This is my first Lost World fic. I stumbled across the show about two months ago and though it can sometimes be corny and what-not couldn't help but fall in love with it, and its characters. Especially Ned with Veronica and Roxton with Marguerite. They're perfect couples in my mind, so that might be how they end up.

The Timeline for this fic is in Season Two: between The Visitor and A Man of Vision.

Disclaimer: I do own the characters in the "Lost" Expedition, save for Edmund Bakker. I based his character off of one of my favorite paleontologists, Dr. Robert Bakker, who is awesome in his own right. Other than that, the rest of the characters are owned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and New Line Television Productions, and so on and so forth. I don't own them, just borrowing them for a bit.

Just one more note and then we can begin. I'm studying to be a paleontologist as a career, so I can and will mention bunches of dinosaurs, species and individuals. At the end I'll put in a bit of a glossary if you aren't familiar with their names, and if you aren't a dork like me.

* * *

Chapter 1: Truth Be Told

"I refuse to take another step. We've been all over this damned jungle, and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. Well done Great White Hunter." Marguerite's toned voice was heard through the pathways of twisting trees and tumbling foliage as she tossed her rifle to the leaf encrusted forest floor, sitting with a huff on a large stump.

"Marguerite, you didn't have to come along. There were plenty of things to do back at the Treehouse." Roxton grumbled as he and Malone stopped and shouldered their rifles, looking off through the dense undergrowth as they kept watch while resting.

"One would think you two would be glad to have my company. At least with me around there's someone here to set you straight." She snapped in return and stood, hefting her weapon and tramping off in front of them with heavy and laden footsteps.

"Straight from what? A moment of peace and quiet?" Malone asked with a grin as Roxton chuckled, following the brunette spitfire with a lighthearted step.

Hours later the trio stumbled upon a small Ornithomimid craning his ostrich-like neck into a nook where water had collected from a recent rain. Roxton squatted carefully behind a dense bush and took aim as Malone and Marguerite flanked the beast on each side to ward off a retreat if the hunter missed his target. Marking it, he began to gently squeeze the trigger as gunfire exploded to the west causing the animal to sprint into the forests.

A deafening roar filled the air followed by shouts and more explosions as Roxton shared a worried glance with the others before turning and quickly making a trail through the dense plants and trees before coming to a clearing.

"I can't be..." Marguerite gasped as she watched five or so men defend a deflated balloon from an angry Tyrannosaurus. The trio spotted a nest built up holding three large eggs.

"Unlucky for them." Malone called as Roxton made his way over to the nest and picked up an egg. "Didn't you and Veronica try this once? From the story you told this football game didn't end too well."

"Rugby, Malone. Rugby." He chuckled as he tucked the egg in the crook of his arm before firing a shot at the beast, catching her attention as well as the scant few men defending the downed balloon.

"Bloody hell, that old boy in insane." A breathless English voice drifted over as the hunter bolted, the lumbering beast following with a bellow of rage.

"Definitely. Come on, we can come back for your supplies." Marguerite yelled as the men jogged over, catching up with the two explorers.

"What about your friend?" A tall man with a grey beard and tattered hat questioned as he jogged up between Marguerite and Malone.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about Lord John Roxton. He'll probably try to reason with her, bore it to tears and she'll forget all about her nest to rid herself of his nuisance. Welcome to the Plateau, I'm Marguerite Krux, this is Ned Malone."

"Ah, so this is where you landed. Members of the lost Challenger expedition I presume?"

"You've come looking for us?" Ned asked, an air of excitement in his voice as his eyes scanned the forest for any signs of Roxton.

"Oh, heavens no. My name is Edmund Bakker, and this will have been my third expedition to this marvelous Plateau."

"You're American."

"Well, so are you Mr. Malone."

"Did you hear about the Plateau from Professor George Challenger's lectures in London?" Marguerite asked as she heard Roxton's heavy footfall behind them, his breathing labored.

"Well you could have at least waited for me." He grumbled, shouldering his rifle, glaring at the small smile Marguerite flashed him.

"Professor Challenger? No, I am not acquainted with his lectures, though he always was a man to look up to. England has many well respected scientists, though none have really ever visited some of the many sites we have in the western part of America." He explained, reaching out to shake the winded hunter's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Roxton; and thank you for taking care of that unfortunate situation. We've landed in the same spot twice before and have received no such welcome. Regrettably, that fine animal decided to lay her eggs in a different location this time 'round."

"Wait. If this is your third expedition to the Plateau..." Malone began, Marguerite interrupting him with a giggle.

"Then that means you know a way off."

"Well of course. Don't you?" The scientist asked with a wry grin as Marguerite rolled her eyes at the laughing eyes of Bakker and his men.

"If we did do you think we'd be a lost expedition?"

"Touché, Miss. Krux. Well, most of our equipment was scattered about that Tyrannosaur nest when we landed. You wouldn't by chance have a camp big enough for eight extra men?"

"For a way off the Plateau, I'm sure we could arrange something."

* * *

"I must say, my dear, this is a fine establishment." Reginald Sanders commented as he sat across from Veronica and Malone. The group filled the small yet open kitchen as extra chairs were brought in from the lab and the common room.

"Thank you; though I have to ask. Where did you find this...way off of the Plateau?" Veronica lightly propped her elbow up on the table, her fork pushing about the assorted fruit on her plate as she made eye contact with the Scientist seated beside Challenger.

"Now, Veronica, let us not be too judgmental. Dr. Edmund Bakker is a well known Paleontologist; a man I have read much about. Though we do not have all of your written works in London, several of your more famous writings have been circulated about the London Zoological Society's monthly meetings." Challenger spoke defensively as he drifted the subject back to Bakker.

"Now, now, Professor, by all accounts we are nothing more than strangers. From the stories you and your friends have spoken of, I do not blame the young lady at all for her suspicions. It just shows how much of a family you all are. Though, Miss. Layton, I do hope that in time you will trust us. I would so love to learn from your knowledge of the surrounding lands." Bakker smiled, his blue-grey eyes sparkling as he settled back in his chair.

"There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow, I'm sure all of you are exhausted." Marguerite chimed, rising and lifting some of the plates into her hands, making her way around the counter to the makeshift sink full of freshly collected water.

"You feeling okay, Marguerite?" Ned asked with a grin as he turned around to fix curious eyes on the heiress.

"Just doing my chores, Malone. It is my night to clean up." She commented as Roxton tried not to laugh in his well deserved glass of port.

"Well, this sudden urge to...clean up... is well appreciated Marguerite. Especially since we didn't need to tie you to the kitchen sink to keep you there; this time." Roxton laughed before a wet towel hit him in the side of the head. Laughter erupted from the large group as they finished clearing the table and they made their way to the many mats and blankets strategically laid out on the floor. Most of the furniture had been moved to either Challenger's lab or Summerlee's empty room to make room for the eight other men and their sleeping arrangements.

Hours had passed since the dinner had ended; those who needed sleep the most drifted off after a glass of wine and settled down into the warm blankets and comfortable surroundings. Challenger and Bakker had talked long into the night about many different subjects, though all related in some way to the Plateau. The two scientists had fallen asleep atop their journals, maps, writings and notes, their loud snoring drowning out most of the night sounds from the adjoining jungle.

Veronica laughed quietly as she covered each with a light blanket, making her way into the kitchen when a voice made her jump.

"Couldn't sleep?" Malone asked lightly from his nearly hidden place at the desk in the corner, an open journal before him as his pencil stopped bobbing long enough for him to turn and toss her an open smile.

"Not really. Though with seven snoring men cluttering the Treehouse I can't imagine why." She grinned, moving to look over his shoulder as he wrote. "So...it seems like you've all found another way to make it back to London."

"Ya, though I've lost track of how many times I've heard that story before..." Ned left off as he set his pencil down in the crease of his journal and leaned back to look up at her.

"You don't think you'll make it off?" She asked, setting her hand against the back of the chair as she placed the other on her hip, eyebrows raised and mouth cocked to one side.

Ned shrugged and stood, making his way between the sleeping mats and into the kitchen, the jungle girl at his heels. "It's not that I don't think we'll make it off... it's just that...well it's hard to believe that it's this simple. I mean, we've searched for nearly three years and found nothing that even remotely looks like a way back down to the Amazon, and yet here comes another expedition saying they've known all along; that we must have just skipped over it."

"Well, I suppose we'll see soon enough tomorrow, Bakker and Sanders have agreed to take us to the area that leads the way off."

"If it was this close to the Treehouse, don't you think we'd have found it before?" Malone asked as he lifted a mango and sliced it open with a knife from the counter.

"Don't you want to go home?"

"It's not that I do or don't, Veronica, it's the fact of the matter; if a way off was so easy to find, then we would have been home years ago. Not that I've minded our extended stay, of course."

She nodded in agreement, folding her arms over her stomach as she leaned back against the counter beside him. "Well...of all the people you have believed when they said they had a way off of the Plateau, this is different. These men are offering you the real thing. Whether or not we've found it before, you're going back to London by the end of the month; maybe sooner."

"Well...I was kind of hoping that since we knew a way on and off that you would come with us." He studied the fruit as he brought a piece up to his lips, finally looking over at the woman he admired so much.

She merely shook her head, snatching the mango from his fingertips and popping it before he could protest. "My home is here. Though, I can say that I will miss you. All of you. Good night, Ned." She smiled, despite the fact that it didn't reach her eyes as she walked from the kitchen, weaving her way between Bakker's men and into her own room.

"I'll miss you too..." he whispered, making his way back over to the desk with a sigh. Flopping down into the chair he ran an aggravated hand through his sandy colored hair, getting back to his writing.

* * *

"Well, here it is. This crevice leads about two miles to the east before diving deep through a series of tunnels. We found out that as long as you keep taking the paths to the right you can make it down to the Amazon in around three or four days." Bakker smiled lightly, lifting his canteen to his lips as he watched Veronica and Challenger study the entrance before them.

"Is it open to the sky for the entire two miles?" Challenger asked, his words muddled as he held a pen between his lips while digging around in his pack for his notebook.

"Yes, well...at least until about a hundred feet...maybe fifty before the opening to the caves. Since most of our supplies were lost in the balloon landing, we'll probably have to be back in London within the next two months if we are going to survive."

He heard Roxton's amused chuckle, frowning as the hunter and huntress exchanged a look. "We've lived here for nearly three years, Professor Bakker. I assure you that it's more than possible to lose a few supplies and continue on. This Plateau is more than abundant." John explained as a distant cry of a Pterodactyl drifted on the breeze as Malone and Sanders rejoined the group.

"I hear that you're good friends with a local people?" Sanders questioned as he sat down with a huff, his balding head bare to the intense heat of the sun as he guzzled the colorless liquid from one of his three canteens.

"Been sharing stories again, Malone?" Challenger laughed as he scribbled down the precise location, both longitude and latitude in correlation with the Treehouse as the entire group rested in the shade.

"Well, it was Veronica who befriended the Zanga, and through her we've been able to trade many things with the people." Challenger explained as an eager young man stepped forward.

"I studied Anthropology at Brigham Young University, and we researched several indigenous tribes from South America. Miss. Layton, would we by any chance be able to meet this tribe before we leave for London?" He reminded her of Ned in his first few months on the Plateau, and endless stream of questions never ceasing from his lips, though she was eager enough to answer them all.

"I'm not sure Mr. Carson. I suppose I could talk to Assai before you leave." She spoke up before a screech of a raptor stilled the group; Veronica and Roxton stood to attention, he with his rifle cocked and against his shoulder, and she with her knife unsheathed quickly from her boot, her fingers gripping the handle.

"How many?" Marguerite asked in a quiet voice, her revolver pointing into the dense jungle.

"Three; maybe two." The huntress' short answer was broken as the beasts burst through the ferns, catching one of the men off guard as its killing claw gouged into his upper leg. He screamed, falling to the ground as Roxton fired, hitting the creature in the chest twice before it toppled to the forest floor.

"Everyone move! Find cover!" Roxton shouted as two more raptors jumped from the thick underbrush, snarling at the retreating humans. Malone's rifle fired once as another of the animals crashed to the soil.

Dashing into a small open area they regrouped before heading back to the Treehouse.

"Well, I suppose we were ready to head back in the first place. Now...all we need is to pack then we'll be on our way back to jolly ole' England." Marguerite grinned as Roxton chuckled. They moved quickly through the jungle as they took turns in small groups of three or four at a time in the elevator.

* * *

A/N: Okay...it was probably a bad place to end the chapter...but I really didn't have any other information I desperately needed to toss into Chapter 1. So tell me what you guys think, I'd love to hear some feedback.

Glossary: _Ornithomimid_

Okay. So we mentioned a dino in the beginning, _Ornithomimid_. It basically means bird-like-mimic. Imagine an ostrich with a tail, probably a few feathers, a bunch of scales, and there you go. That's what this dinosaur is based off of. _Ornithomimus_: a nearly 8 ft. tall, 11 ft. long omnivore, first discovered in Colorado. Lived about 70 million years ago (non-plateau time, lol).

-Jean


	2. Chapter 2: A Celebration in the Making

A/N: Anything written in italics is a flash back.

* * *

Chapter 2: A Celebration in the Making

The journey to the Zanga Village was miraculously uneventful. A small group of warriors, lead by Jarl, met Veronica, Malone and Mr. Carson halfway. The instant frown on his face made the other Zanga worried as Jarl pulled the huntress aside.

"Who is this that travels with you? He is an outsider; from the other world." His tone was hushed thought the anxiety in his voice was apparent.

"Don't worry. He's part of a larger expedition to the Plateau from America. He says he studied people like you from the Amazon and wants to know more about your culture." She explained, setting a light hand to his shoulder before pulling him into a hug. "How is Assai?"

"She is well. She will meet us when we arrive."

"Excuse me, Miss. Layton. Is this the Zanga?" Mr. Carson had his field journal out and a pencil ready, cautiously approaching the pair's side.

"Jarl, his is Mr. Carson. Mr. Carson, this is Jarl. He is Assai's husband."

"Ah. So in your community you are something akin to royalty?"

Jarl cocked an eyebrow, looking down to Veronica for a translation into terms he could understand.

"Well...Assai is the Zanga princess, though through marriage he will never become leader of the Zanga. The ties are only kept through blood. Therefore Assai will lead when her father Jacoba dies."

"And when the time comes, my children will rule in her place." Jarl finished as he turned and quietly barked an order, the warriors splitting forward and back to watch as the group made their way into the territory of the natives, the walls of the village rising through the foliage.

Veronica and Ned gathered a warm greeting from Assai and a few of the other inhabitants and were quickly ushered into a large building. Jacoba sat at the throne, his priests gathered about him as they all conversed, though silence fell quickly as the foreigners were noticed.

"Welcome again to my home, Veronica and Journalist. Who is this stranger walking with you?" Jacoba extended his greeting in his tongue, eying Mr. Carson with interest as his painted brow furrowed.

"Carson is a man from the other world, journeying here to take Challenger and the others back to their own place." Veronica explained, translating to both Malone and Carson.

Though Ned had learned some of the more basic greetings and sentences in the language of the Zanga he was glad she was there to translate quickly. In the back of one of his journals he'd written out an extensive dictionary of sorts with translations in them. The dictionary however was not the only thing he took away from the hours Veronica spent teaching him bits and pieces of the complex dialect.

"_You need to stress the A more, but you're really improving." Veronica's laugher echoed through the small glen; her bare feet made a slight splashing sound as they sat together on the bank of the pool._

_The sun peaked overhead as the huntress tried in vain to come up with a Zanga equivalent to each word Malone was throwing out. The dull roar of the miniature waterfall was like a constant heartbeat pounding against the rocks imbedded in the bottom of the pond._

_Malone finished his notes and tossed his journal away from the edge of the water. "Well, practice makes perfect, but I've had a good teacher." He grinned while unlacing his shoes and pitching them beside Veronica's hide skinned boots. His feet joined hers as he sighed and leaned back on his forearms. Small bits of sunlight broke through the leaves of the large rainforest flora and beamed down on the area in splotches._

"_I still don't know why you decided to ask me about this. You only really visit the Zanga when you go with Roxton and Challenger to trade." Veronica said with a grin, pulling a light colored her away from across her cheek and lips._

"_Well, I think it would probably be a valuable thing to know. I mean...us being so close to their territory." He stuttered as he looked down at the waving image of his feet, distorted by the water._

"_Well...I should probably head back. I promised Challenger I would help him with some new experiment." She sighed, pulling her legs from the water and standing up on the grassy bank._

"_What already? I thought you didn't have to be back until this afternoon." Malone stated as he rose as well and helped her gather their things._

_She cocked an eyebrow in his direction before flopping back down in the soft dry grass to lace up her boots. Gazing up at a break in the trees she spotted the sun and moved her gaze back to her hands as they looped the intricate hide strings through the small holes._

"_It's almost two."_

"_Oh..." He frowned, confirming on his wristwatch that she was indeed right. The time had nearly flown by as he sat listening studiously to her lyrical voice as she spoke the Zanga language._

"_What about tomorrow?" He asked lifting his rifle up over his shoulder after tucking his journal into his backpack._

"_Tomorrow I'm going hunting with Roxton, and you promised Marguerite you would help her with the coffee beans."_

_Malone mentally cursed her for remembering all of their chores throughout the week._

"_Relax, Malone. We'll have plenty of times to sneak out and study. But, I did promise Challenger I would help out. Besides; maybe we'll have a spare moment tonight." She tossed over her shoulder as they headed back toward the Treehouse._

"Ned?" Veronica's voice pulled him from his reverie as he snapped his head back to the conversation. "You all right?" She asked lightly and waited patiently for his answer.

Malone tried to make it less obvious that his mind was a million miles away. Focusing on the men in the room around them, one figure stood out.

"Who's the boy?" He quickly changed the subject and pulled her attention away from him.

"Assai says he's in training to be their new Shaman. Rumor has it he's already a skilled healer as well as something of a seer. Some say." She whispered as Jacoba bid them come forward and speak their business.

* * *

Roxton grumbled as he reached the top step once more when Marguerite's voice yelled to catch him.

"Wait! Come back, I need to add something to that case!" She shouted as he began to feel a cramp rise into his bicep.

"Well can't you bring it up here?" He yelled, hearing what sounded remarkably like, 'ppft' coming from the room at the bottom of the steps and behind the curtain.

He rolled his eyes heavenward prior to turning about and trudging back down, the handles of the trunk digging into his hands as he pushed through the dark maroon drape that served as a door.

"You know Marguerite...I've half a mind to let you carry your own things upstairs." He huffed as he dropped the suitcase on the floor and stretched out the stiff muscles in his fingers.

"Oh please, Roxton. A little work never hurt anyone." She quipped and lifted the heavy lid to toss in a small handkerchief. "Thank you."

"What...that's it?"

"What's it?"

"You had me heft that thing up those stairs then back for a picture frame, then up and back again for a handkerchief? Those things you couldn't walk up to me?"

"I thought you needed the exercise." She set her hand on his stomach and gave two thumps before making her way back to the dresser and opening a small drawer. She felt his gaze and turned to see him peering over her shoulder. "That's all."

"Well. Just let me know when you need me again." The sarcastic lilt in his voice matched with the charming smile on his face was in direct contrast from the grunt squeezed from his lips as he hoisted the case once more and made his way back out of the room and up the stairs.

Packing began immediately upon the return from the crevice, and the Treehouse's common room was filled with packed boxes, cases and storage trunks. The items that the Challenger expedition had collected in their nearly three year stay were scattered, though in organized piles, and labeled. Most of Challenger's things were still in the lab, and he offered to be the last to pack away his scientific equipment. '"You'll never know when a question may require science to come up with a constant answer. It's best if we leave these instruments out for as long as possible."' Though no one disagreed with him, they none of them looked forward to helping the scientist pack up his laboratory.

The men from Bakker's expedition had traveled back to the site where they had landed. Finding the eggs broken and trampled and a fresh clutch in a built up mound a few feet away, they surveyed the area with caution while gathering their strewn belongings. The balloon had been shredded and the basket beyond repair so they left it behind and quickly returned to the Treehouse. Now, they too were packing as they waited for the small group to return from the Zanga Village.

"Well, that about does it." Roxton grunted tossing the case to the floor as Challenger sat with his journal open in his hands, his eyes watching a glass tube as the sun reflected off of the strange solution inside.

"Now all we wait for is Veronica and Ned to return. Though, I wouldn't mind sampling some of that Zanga wine one last time." Challenger spoke in a near monotone voice as he set his full concentration on the experiment.

"Here, here." John laughed as Marguerite rounded the steps and flopped down onto the small couch with a huff.

"Now that was tiring." She sighed before closing her eyes and leaning against the many pillows that adorned the settee.

"Not lifting a finger is tiring?" Roxton countered as he lifted his freshly poured glass of bourbon.

"Indeed."

"Well, if you two have nothing to do, we could use water from the stream. I saw the buckets beside the elevator." Challenger spoke, a smile evident in his voice though none appeared on his face. His finger smoothed out his mustache and beard lightly to hide the upturn of his lips, his eyes darting to the two sitting on the opposite side of the room.

"Come along Marguerite." Roxton ordered as he prepared his guns and slid his feet into the high boots beside the elevator.

"Why do I have to go? It's easy enough for one person to carry two buckets." She growled, righting herself to a sitting position as she glared over at the scientist.

"We're not carrying water for the five of us, keep in mind there are eight other men staying here." Roxton reminded her as Marguerite huffed and picked herself up off of the couch, joining the hunter's side. She finished buckling her belt and stormed into the elevator, fixing angry eyes upon both men in the room.

"Coming?" She asked with a growl as Challenger chuckled, going back to his experiments and Roxton activated the lift and the two vanished from sight.

* * *

"That was most fascinating!" Carson's voice could be heard over the din as the three visitors prepared to leave the Zanga Village in hopes of reaching the Treehouse before dark.

Veronica had taken an almost immediate liking to the young and upcoming Zanga shaman, though his parting words still hung like a shroud in her mind as they walked beyond the high village walls and into the surrounding jungle.

"_I fear I will not see you again, Veronica." He spoke the language beautifully, almost bringing her into a trance as he looked up at her with huge brown eyes; the faint white and red pain on his high cheekbones standing out in contrast with his deep colored skin._

"_What do you mean? Jacoba invited us back for a celebration feast in three days; you will see me again." She smiled, setting a gentle hand to the boys shoulder as he stopped them both by catching her arm._

"_What comes in the future, you and your friends must avoid. Keep away from the tunnels, or the family will break." He warned, silencing her questions prior to returning through the flap of the shaman's tent and leaving her standing and staring at the colorful artwork adorning the hut._

"Earth to Veronica, you're a million miles away." Ned called, his hands waving before her as she jumped, eyes refocusing on the two men before her.

"Sorry. My mind wasn't exactly right here. Come on; it's a good few hours until we reach the Treehouse. We should put as much jungle behind us as we can." She put the encounter behind her as the trio headed back toward the home that, in a few short days, would belong solely to Veronica once more.

* * *

A/N: I know that his chapter is shorter than the other, but it was an absolute TERROR to write! Couldn't think of anything at ALL to move the storyline along, though hey, it finally worked out. Sorry for all of you Marguerite and Roxton fans, I wasn't exactly in a M/R mood when I wrote the scene, so I tried to stay as true to character as I could. Ned and Veronica are so much easier to write for!! Anywho, drop me a review and tell me how I'm doing, or an e-mail:

Jean


	3. Chapter 3: A Road Untraveled

Chapter 3: A Road Untraveled

Veronica moved quietly along the dirt path before her, one eye on Challenger as he wandered about, insects and flowers alike catching his attention. A pang hit her heart as she stopped along the trail to watch the ginger-haired man ooh and ahh at a beetle crawling across his fingers, a man that had become more of like a father to her than anything else. A man that was leaving in four days.

"Challenger?"

"Mmm?" Muttering under his breath he reached into his pocket and pulled out his calipers to measure the insect.

"The windmill is this way," she corrected, the scientist looking up with a laugh.

"Of course it is; I know where the windmill is." She let him finish his measurements and watched him send the bug on its way before rejoining her.

The power had been sporadic the evening before, Challenger thinking that a chewed wire may be the culprit. Veronica offered to travel with him, seeing as she wasn't busy packing anything for the journey back to London.

'_Besides, you should know how to do repairs while we're away, that way when we return the windmill will be in tip top shape.'_

They talked animatedly while he worked, his skillful fingers working out the problem in two seconds all while showing Veronica what to do if certain problems arose. The walk back to the Treehouse was however quiet, Challenger facing the young woman with a proud look on his face.

"You know…Veronica…I must say that while I'm very excited to return to London to tell every one of our adventures here on the Plateau, I believe you are the part I shall miss more than anything. You have become quite a friend," he paused, seeing tears in the young blonde's eyes as she looked up at him, "no…not a friend…more like a daughter. Thank you for taking us in those many years ago, my dear."

She tossed her arms around him with a muffled sob as he embraced her. "You promise that you'll return? Some day?"

"Of course, I give my word, Veronica. We'd never leave you waiting too long."

She stilled as she spotted movement over his shoulder, "look out" passing her lips briefly as she pushed him away from her. The crudely carved arrow had already loosed from the native's bow, the twang echoing off of the foliage as the bolt flew toward the explorers. Challenger pulled out his pistol quickly from his crouched position where Veronica had pushed him, two shots hitting center mass as the young man fell to the ground. Two others sprang from the trees and grabbed their injured comrade, dragging him back out of sight. Waiting a few more moments, weapon trained on the greenery around him, he listened.

"Well, that was close. Good spot, Veronica. Veronica?" Looking up from his side arm he saw her thump to her knees, one hand wrapped around the thick wood of the arrow protruding from her chest, just above her heart. "Oh god…Veronica!"

Challenger scrambled to her side, catching her against his arm as she tipped over. Her hand was covered in blood and a cough rattled through her chest bringing the crimson liquid to spatter her lips and cheek.

"This…this can't be…" For once, Challenger was at a loss. He knew through treating locals with Summerlee what would happen with a wound like this. Punctured lung at the very least was impossible for him to treat, especially since the doctor was no longer present. "You…you can't leave like this Veronica…you…"

Her blue eyes met his, a single tear falling from the corner into her blonde hair. She opened her mouth several times, the red staining of her lips looking eerie as Challenger tried desperately to wipe it away with the pads of his thumbs.

"I don't…I don't know what to do!" He began to cry as he cradled her close to his chest, rocking back onto his heels.

Her ragged breathing made him wince, and he pressed kisses to her forehead while whispering consolations, more for himself than anything. When the raspy breathing stopped, he allowed himself to sob openly while clutching her limp body against his chest. Moments crawled by and finally allowed himself to look down at her face. Pale, uncharacteristic of her tanned features, and blood-spattered, her unfocused blue eyes stared up at the canopy above them. Pulling himself together as best as he could, he closed her eyes slowly and lifted her up into his arms.

Strength born through grief enabled him to carry her back to the Treehouse, his stricken cries of help echoing up as nearly a dozen people stuck their heads over the side of the railing. Gasps could be heard to the jungle floor as the elevator rumbled to life. Falling to his knees, his arms nearly giving out, tears blurred his vision as his grip on her cooling skin began to loosen. His burden was lifted moments later, Roxton hefting her up into his arms as Ned and Marguerite joined his side.

"I just…I…I let her die," Challenger sobbed, the heiress reaching up into the hunter's arms and searching Veronica's throat for a pulse.

Flashes of light zipped across Challengers mind, the face of a young Zanga boy interrupting his grieving. "The family will break…stay away from the tunnels."

With a gasp and a snort the scientist flew up from his hunched position, loose pages of his workbook sticking to his sweaty forehead. Sunlight flooded his laboratory, and a quick check of the clock ticking on the shelf showed it to be nearly one in the afternoon. The dream was vivid in his mind, and as he stood and pulled the pages from his forehead, he wiped the tears from his cheeks as he followed the laughter up to the living area.

Turning the corner he ran head-long into the young woman haunting his thoughts as she attempted to call him for lunch. "Oh…sorry Challenger. It's lunch time, if you're hungry."

Without saying a word he wrapped his arms around her and forced her into a large hug. "I…I just…had the most terrible nightmare, my dear."

Frowning, she tilted her head back and pulled away slightly, seeing the tears still wet on his cheeks. "What happened?"

"You…you and I were out and…you were shot. You…died right in my arms, Veronica. I…couldn't stop it, I couldn't do anything."

Marguerite could see the distress in the scientist's eyes as he squeezed the blonde's shoulders, almost proving to himself that she really was standing before him. "It was only a dream, Challenger."

"But no…it…it was so vivid, so real! It was like I was really there!"

Veronica smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Look, I'm fine! Come, let's have lunch. You and I have to go take a look at the windmill today anyway."

"No!"

His outburst startled the room as Bakker and a few of his men walked in from the lower living area.

"That's…that's what we were doing in my dream."

Bakker laughed, "oh come now, Professor…you don't put any wagers on dreams coming true, do you?" With that the group let it go, Challenger trying his best to push him mind away from his dream and into the present.

"I suppose…it was just a dream. Goodness, I'm acting like a small child."

"That would explain your fascination with insects," Marguerite smugly added with a devilish smile as they all dug into the dried raptor meat and fruits.

'_Perhaps it was nothing more than a dream…I should really get more rest,' _the scientist thought before shaking the thoughts from his mind and pushing on with his day, determined to wipe the grisly scenefrom his memory.


End file.
